Destin POV
The silence between Onyx and me is palpable. Her eyes are downcast, and I worry she won't open up to me. I know she has questions, but I am not sure I have answers for them. She is shuffling from foot to foot, and her eyes keep glancing at the door. It appears she doesn't know how to start this conversation any more than I do.
I groan loudly as I sit up, and she rushes to prop pillows behind me. "You should be careful," she whispers kindly. "Mom's magic was temperamental at best."
"It was the same way before she was a Gray Creature," I manage to say. "After she was turned…" I let my voice trail off. I don't know how Onyx feels about being a Gray Creature.
"It's okay," she sighs. "She was a good mom, despite the monster she was."
I draw in a ragged breath and reach for the memories I have so neatly tucked away. After Arabella was turned into a Gray Creature, I took all of my feelings and memories of her and put them away into the recesses of my mind. I haven't touched them since her death.
In my mind, I pull out the box of hidden memories, and I can't help but smile. There was so much about her that was wonderful, but even as a half Fae her magic was terrifying. She possessed more than any one creature should and eventually paid for it.
"She was pretty terrifying when I knew her," I manage to say. "Beautiful but terrifying."
An odd smile creeps over her face. "What was she like before she was turned?"
I lean against the pillows and brace myself for the heartaches that comes with her memories. "She was private," I begin. "Large crowds made her uncomfortable. Your mom was more comfortable hidden away in the library than at the parties her father forced her to go to."
"Huh," Onyx grunts. "She sounds the same."
"Really?" I cock my head to the side.
Her shoulders finally relax, and she smiles. "Yeah. But she was determined. She thought she could find a way to cure us. Then she made some terrible mistakes. Mistakes that King Roland couldn't forgive."
"She began taking Fae creatures," I whisper. "They never returned."
Onyx swallows hard. "No, they didn't. She thought their blood…"
I raise my hand to stop her. "I don't want to hear anymore. Not about Arabella. Tell me about you."
Her posture tightens again. "There isn't much to tell. She kept me hidden, even from the other Gray Creatures. It wasn't until after her death that I was found. She tried to train me to be like her, but she always said I was too much like you."
I nod uncomfortably. She is mine. "You are mine," I whisper. Then I look at her, really look at her. "You look like me. I should have seen it before."
She tucks a strand of ebony hair behind her ear, and her cheeks darken. "She used to say that, too."
"I am sorry for all the years I missed," I plead with her. "I should have been there. I should have stood up to Roland. He made us all believe you were corrupt and monsters. I didn't know."
"There was nothing you could have done," she assures me. "I don't blame you for your absence. Or for finding a new mate."
My eyes have drifted down to the bed in front of me. No matter what she says. I should have been there for her. I should have protected her.
"I can see into your mind," she interrupts my self-loathing. "You can't protect what you didn't know existed, and I turned out fine."
"I guess you did," I reply. "But I don't understand why you aren't angry with me."
"I have had several lifetimes to be angry," she sighs. "I am tired of being angry, like so many other Gray Creatures. We just want to live normal lives."
She is beautiful- the perfect combination of Arabella and me. Then she crosses her arms over her chest, and she looks utterly terrifying. I get the feeling I am going to be lectured.
"You need to work on your mental shields," she scolds me. "If I can get in, so can Selene."
I scoff loudly. "Who is the parent here?"
"I am serious," she snaps at me. "Wren is innocent in all of this, and Selene will destroy her."
"I am healing," I give my best excuse. "But Wren can hold her own."
"Can she?" Onyx hisses through her teeth. "She hasn't been trained to fight. She has a weak bond with her wolf. Selene will ruin her."
"How do you know all of that?" I mutter.
"I can get into anyone's mind," she rolls her eyes. "And none of you are great at blocking off your memories."
I run my hands down my face. "You can't just go through people's memories. You are at least two centuries old. You know better than that."
"I do," she agrees. "But my life is so boring."
I open my mouth to lecture her again, but someone knocks on the door. "Who is it?"
"Hey," Charlie shouts through the door. "Is Wren in there with you?"
Onyx and I share a worried look. "Get in here?"
Charlie opens the door, and his face pales when he sees that Wren is not with us. "Fuck."
He is already pacing the floor with worry and wringing his hands together. He has not had a moment's rest since he met Wren. He cares for her too deeply and would move mountains to protect her. Unfortunately for him, Wren is not going to be tamed.
Onyx loops her arm through mine as I struggle to get to my feet. Arabella smacked me with her magic a few times when we were together, and I don't remember it taking such a toll on my body. But she was my mate then, and now she isn't.
"What is going on?" I ask him.
"I went to the bathroom, and when I returned, she was gone." His voice is panicked.
"It's okay," I try to assure him. "The palace is only so big. We will find her."
Onyx claps a hand over her mouth dramatically and steps back. "She isn't in the palace."
"Nonsense," I say, glancing out of the window. Night has already fallen and it is a moonless night. "Wren is not stupid enough to go outside of the palace at night. Not in the Immortal Realm. She knows what kinds of creatures lurk in the dark."
"She may not be stupid enough," she whispers. "But she is desperate enough."
"She is looking for her own witch," Charlie mumbles.
"We have to get her before she gets to the Gray Creatures," Onyx says hurriedly. "They won't approve of a creature of Selene in their midst."